SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
curtail
verb
To reduce, restrict, or bring to an earlier end.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
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Reduce or cut short
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topTruncate stresses cutting off an end; curtail can reduce scope, duration, or freedom.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See curtail in use
Budget cuts forced the organizers to curtail the program.
The chair decided to circumscribe the next meeting's scope: members would settle the location and staffing, while decorative details could wait. She also proposed a time limit to curtail repeated arguments.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license